Council's right not to rush on city manager Is Raleigh getting it?

Published: Sunday, December 9, 2012 at 4:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, December 7, 2012 at 6:32 p.m.

Hendersonville City Council made the right move Thursday in appointing former Waynesville Town Manager A. Lee Galloway as interim city manager to give the city time to conduct a thorough search to fill the position.

City Manager Bo Ferguson is resigning at the end of the year to become deputy city manager over operations in Durham. Ferguson has done an outstanding job in his almost five years here. The city should take its time to fill what everybody agrees are large shoes.

In his all-too-short time in Hendersonville, Ferguson proved himself to be both thoroughly professional and open, approachable and down to earth. Durham officials cited his expertise in organizational leadership, community relations, public participation, intergovernmental relations and prudent fiscal management in choosing him for his new job.

Proof of his financial skills came in the form of an audit report Council received Thursday night. The city has $40 million in cash reserves, which amounts to about 52 percent of its annual operating budget. The state requires municipalities to maintain a minimum fund balance of 8 percent.

For top-notch administrators such as Ferguson, the road to advancement usually leads to larger cities. As deputy city manager over operations in Durham, he will oversee about two-thirds of the city’s workforce — 2,200 staff in a city with 228,330 residents and a budget of $373.2 million. That’s a big jump from Hendersonville, which has about 13,278 residents, 200 full-time employees and a budget of $25.8 million.

Council members were unanimous in singing Ferguson’s praises. Councilman Jerry Smith said he “understands the importance of the role of local government in an average person’s life. … Bo did an excellent job of taking the concerns of Hendersonville residents as well as county residents to heart in leading them to a bright future.”

Hiring Galloway, an award-winning manager who retired in June after 39 years in local government, will allow the city to conduct a thorough search for the right person to fill the job. With all Hendersonville has going for it, the city should attract a talented pool of applicants. Council should aim to find a new manager who, like Ferguson, values public involvement and openness — someone with the skills, experience and temperament to lead Hendersonville into its next chapter.

So a General Assembly committee studying illegal immigration wrapped up a year of meetings Thursday by recommending no new legislative action — other than urging Washington to do more, The Associated Press reports.

Latino advocates had feared the House Select Committee on the State’s Role in Immigration Policy would follow GOP-controlled legislatures in Arizona, South Carolina, Alabama and Georgia to push tough new laws targeting illegal immigrants, AP’s Emery P. Dalesio reported. But the seven Republicans and five Democrats on the panel decided that wasn’t such a good idea.

Maybe they heard how farmers across the state and nation are having trouble finding enough migrant laborers to pick their crops. Or perhaps they read the latest U.S. Census data estimating that North Carolina’s Hispanic population fell from about 800,000 in 2010, or 8.4 percent of the state’s total population, to about 765,000 in 2011, or 8.1 percent. Nationwide, the Census shows illegal immigration has dropped to about 11.1 million last year from a peak of 12 million in 2007. The decline has been attributed to a weakened U.S. economy, stronger enforcement and an aging Mexican population.

Maybe lawmakers are seeing the folly in scapegoating otherwise law-abiding workers who are here, trying to provide for their families, doing jobs most Americans won’t do. But the more likely explanation is political. It’s no secret that Hispanics were key to the re-election of President Barack Obama. Politicians are discovering that alienating the nation’s fastest growing demographic is a bad idea.

Whatever the reason, legislators seem to be realizing what we have been saying for years: Illegal immigration is a national issue that requires a comprehensive federal solution.

“It’s a very emotional issue on both sides, and we’ve got to try to hold that rhetoric off and look at things that benefit the economy, treat people respectfully, and in some cases, address some symptoms now whose problem is really rooted in federal policy,” House Speaker Thom Tillis, R-Mecklenburg, told the Wilmington Star-News.

<p>Hendersonville City Council made the right move Thursday in appointing former Waynesville Town Manager A. Lee Galloway as interim city manager to give the city time to conduct a thorough search to fill the position.</p><p>City Manager Bo Ferguson is resigning at the end of the year to become deputy city manager over operations in Durham. Ferguson has done an outstanding job in his almost five years here. The city should take its time to fill what everybody agrees are large shoes.</p><p>In his all-too-short time in Hendersonville, Ferguson proved himself to be both thoroughly professional and open, approachable and down to earth. Durham officials cited his expertise in organizational leadership, community relations, public participation, intergovernmental relations and prudent fiscal management in choosing him for his new job.</p><p>Proof of his financial skills came in the form of an audit report Council received Thursday night. The city has $40 million in cash reserves, which amounts to about 52 percent of its annual operating budget. The state requires municipalities to maintain a minimum fund balance of 8 percent.</p><p>For top-notch administrators such as Ferguson, the road to advancement usually leads to larger cities. As deputy city manager over operations in Durham, he will oversee about two-thirds of the city’s workforce  2,200 staff in a city with 228,330 residents and a budget of $373.2 million. That’s a big jump from Hendersonville, which has about 13,278 residents, 200 full-time employees and a budget of $25.8 million.</p><p>Council members were unanimous in singing Ferguson’s praises. Councilman Jerry Smith said he understands the importance of the role of local government in an average person’s life. Bo did an excellent job of taking the concerns of Hendersonville residents as well as county residents to heart in leading them to a bright future.</p><p>Hiring Galloway, an award-winning manager who retired in June after 39 years in local government, will allow the city to conduct a thorough search for the right person to fill the job. With all Hendersonville has going for it, the city should attract a talented pool of applicants. Council should aim to find a new manager who, like Ferguson, values public involvement and openness  someone with the skills, experience and temperament to lead Hendersonville into its next chapter.</p><p>So a General Assembly committee studying illegal immigration wrapped up a year of meetings Thursday by recommending no new legislative action  other than urging Washington to do more, The Associated Press reports.</p><p>Latino advocates had feared the House Select Committee on the State’s Role in Immigration Policy would follow GOP-controlled legislatures in Arizona, South Carolina, Alabama and Georgia to push tough new laws targeting illegal immigrants, AP’s Emery P. Dalesio reported. But the seven Republicans and five Democrats on the panel decided that wasn’t such a good idea.</p><p>Maybe they heard how farmers across the state and nation are having trouble finding enough migrant laborers to pick their crops. Or perhaps they read the latest U.S. Census data estimating that North Carolina’s Hispanic population fell from about 800,000 in 2010, or 8.4 percent of the state’s total population, to about 765,000 in 2011, or 8.1 percent. Nationwide, the Census shows illegal immigration has dropped to about 11.1 million last year from a peak of 12 million in 2007. The decline has been attributed to a weakened U.S. economy, stronger enforcement and an aging Mexican population.</p><p>Maybe lawmakers are seeing the folly in scapegoating otherwise law-abiding workers who are here, trying to provide for their families, doing jobs most Americans won’t do. But the more likely explanation is political. It’s no secret that Hispanics were key to the re-election of President Barack Obama. Politicians are discovering that alienating the nation’s fastest growing demographic is a bad idea.</p><p>Whatever the reason, legislators seem to be realizing what we have been saying for years: Illegal immigration is a national issue that requires a comprehensive federal solution.</p><p>It’s a very emotional issue on both sides, and we’ve got to try to hold that rhetoric off and look at things that benefit the economy, treat people respectfully, and in some cases, address some symptoms now whose problem is really rooted in federal policy, House Speaker Thom Tillis, R-Mecklenburg, told the Wilmington Star-News.</p><p>Sounds like Raleigh is getting the message.</p>